


As Luck Would Have It

by naruhina_soup (vegebul_soup)



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Las Vegas, Memory Loss, Romantic Comedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:15:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26164000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vegebul_soup/pseuds/naruhina_soup
Summary: After an unforgettable, debauchery-filled night out in Las Vegas, Naruto and Hinata wake up beside each other with zero memory of how they got there. NaruHina. Modern AU.
Relationships: Hyuuga Hinata/Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 132
Kudos: 183





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Русский available: [По воле случая](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26968768) by [AllyMac](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AllyMac/pseuds/AllyMac)



Hinata groaned as she slowly gained awareness. Her head throbbed with an evident hangover. She licked her lips, but her mouth felt so dry.

Water. She really needed some water.

She tried to sit up but almost immediately gave up. Her body was so heavy and her mind was too groggy to care.

At least this bed was soft. Really soft actually.

And warm too.

She rolled over and immediately discovered the source of said warmth. Her half-lidded eyes shot open. Her hand came up to cover her mouth as a surprised squeak escaped her lips.

Laying face down on the bed was a man. Butt ass naked. The sheet barely covering his legs. She momentarily surveyed herself. She was still wearing her dress from the club last night, but... no panties.

Oh god. She was laying in bed panty-less with a naked man. A man who was decidedly not her boyfriend, Toneri.

Well, ex-boyfriend, Toneri.

Well, they were on a break, but Hinata was sure they would get back together. Or at least she had been until he finds out she had some slutty one night stand in Las Vegas.

She stared up at the ceiling at this revelation. Damn that Sakura! This was all her fault!

Her pink-haired best friend had insisted they have a ' _messy'_ girls' trip to Las Vegas. With the objective to ' _have fun_ ' and ' _be wild'_ , so that Hinata would stop ' _moping'_ around after her breakup with Toneri.

Was this really what Sakura had in mind?

Hinata turned back over to look at her bed companion. Slightly concerned he might suffocate with his face down in the pillow like that. Then again his back steadily rose and fell like he was calmly breathing. His decidedly tan and rather muscular back.

Her gaze fell lower to his perfectly sculpted ass. Nice. She blushed after she realized she'd been staring for too long and a sudden pang of awkward guilt compelled her to cover his lower half with the sheet.

If the situation were reversed, she'd appreciate the same courtesy.

Finally, she gained the willpower to sit up. Her head was a little dizzy from the effort. Hinata took in her surroundings. With the curtains drawn, the room was still rather dim, despite the clock reading well past noon. What she presumed were his clothes, were strewn about the floor.

As expected she was not in her own room.

She glanced back down at her bed mate. Would it be rude to just leave? What were the social norms of a one night stand? She had never done something like this before.

Hinata couldn't recall the extent of their relationship, how they met, or even his name. As hard as she tried, she could not remember very much at all about the previous night.

Getting dolled up with Sakura and hitting the club. Having a few drinks. Then nothing.

Was she really such a lightweight?

She turned, slipping her legs out from under the covers. She pushed herself out of bed, before padding over to the window to pull the curtain open.

The regret was instant.

The bright sunlight immediately assaulted her senses. Her hand came up to shield her face as her eyes squinted closed. Her hungover brain punished her for the decision with a dull ache.

"Ugh," she groaned as her eyes adjusted to the light. She again looked over to the naked man. Kind of hoping the light would wake him so she could give her goodbyes and proceed with her imminent walk of shame.

But no luck. He didn't even stir.

She lowered her shielding hand and noticed something odd. Her grandmother's vintage ring that she always wore on her right hand was sitting on her left ring finger.

Hinata dismissed her first thought as an impossibility. But the longer she stared down at her hand, the harder her heart started beating.

No. No. There was absolutely no way.

She jerked her head toward the naked man. Her sight zeroing in on his left hand, only for her worst fears to be confirmed.

He, too, wore a ring.

Either she had sex with a married man or...

Hinata screamed.

He jolted awake from the sound, scrambling in the sheets, and falling off the far side of the bed with a thud. "Fucking shit," he grumbled, his voice still raspy with sleep.

He winced as he peeked up at her from the ground. And suddenly she was trapped in his ocean blue gaze. The color was only made brighter by the gruesome bruising he had under one of his eyes. He ran a hand through his tousled blonde hair as they silently observed each other.

She stood there trembling with her hand covering her mouth, embarrassed from her outburst, and trying her best not to hyperventilate.

"Who are you?" he asked.

She didn't mean to start crying.

"Oh shit." He immediately looked panicked and went to stand up, only for him to notice his current state of undress.

"I'm so sorry! Did we have sex? I promise I'm not some asshole who fucks a girl and doesn't remember her name, I just literally can't remember anything right now."

Hinata couldn't stop crying. She knew she seemed crazy. She knew she was freaking him out.

"Sorry! That was a roundabout way of me asking your name."

She sniffled. "Hinata."

"Please don't cry, Hinata," he begged. He gave her his back as he snatched a pair of dark wash jeans off the ground and slipped them on sans underwear.

He rounded the bed, approaching her cautiously as if she was a wild animal. His hands found purchase on her shoulders and she allowed the touch because it was actually soothing her out of this panicked state. His hands were so warm and surprisingly comforting.

He didn't say anything, just looked at her with eyes too compassionate for a stranger.

She was glad she didn't leave while he was sleeping. He seemed nice. She wouldn't have wanted to hurt his feelings.

Hinata found herself calming. Her breath returned to a normal pace.

He offered her a soft smile, "Do you think you could tell me what happened last night?"

He cringed when her eyes welled up with fresh tears. "I don't remember what happened last night either..."

His brow furrowed at her reply.

"The only clue I have is this," she told him, grabbing the wrist of his left hand and putting hers next to it. Showing him their matching rings. "You don't seem like you're worried you cheated on your wife, which means..." her voice trailed off.

"We got married last night," he finished for her.


	2. Chapter 2

"You need to breathe," he said calmly, grabbing her face and forcing her to look at him. Blue eyes unwavering. He took an exaggerated breath in and she did her best to mirror him. They exhaled in unison.

It didn't help. Hinata still felt like she was about to faint.

She had just started coming to terms with her drunken one night stand but married? _MARRIED_?! To a complete fucking stranger?! And just two weeks after her breakup.

This was such a mess. Her whole life was such a mess.

"Can you tell me what you do remember?"

She averted her gaze as heat bloomed across her cheeks. "I don't even remember your name..." she mumbled.

"Oh shit, of course! My name's Naruto," he chuckled, scratching the back of his neck.

He was actually kind of adorable. One silver lining (if any could be found in this godforsaken situation) was that Naruto was somehow managing to be calm enough for the both of them.

"Well Naruto, all I really remember is going to the club last night with my friend, Sakura. We're in town for a little girls' trip," Hinata explained.

"Which club?"

"Uh, Insomnia? I think it was called."

"Okay! Well, there's our first clue because me and my buddies went to Insomnia last night too! That's probably where we met!" His bright smile faltered. "...but that's about where my memories stop."

"Me too," she sighed. They stood in awkward silence for a moment when the realization dawned that the other didn't have the information they had hoped for.

"Well, I think our first priority needs to be finding the chapel we got married in to see if this marriage is legit," she told him and Naruto nodded his agreement. With a firm plan in mind, Hinata could feel her heart rate returning to a normal pace. Everything was going to be fine. They were going to figure this thing out.

"I should probably put my clothes on then," Naruto chuckled and began picking the articles of his clothing off the ground.

"I think that's a good idea." Hinata couldn't help the smile that spread across her lips. This was not an ideal situation, but it definitely could have been worse.

She began collecting her own things as well, but the way they were so haphazardly strewn about made Hinata's ears hot. They really must have been in a frenzied state when trying to undress each other last night.

"Thank god," Naruto muttered. Hinata turned to find him holding up his wallet like it was a prize to behold.

Hinata grimaced when she remembered both her phone and wallet were in Sakura's purse. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, being that they never planned on splitting up last night.

She decided she needed to go to her hotel room to grab her cell phone, change her clothes, and check-in with her pink-haired friend before she and Naruto could really get started on their mission.

Hinata had found both her shoes, feeling resentful that she would have to trek down the street in her high heels. Her feet still ached from the night before.

Naruto peeked under the bed before standing up with a frown. "I can't find my phone anywhere."

_Great._

Her not having a phone was unfortunate, but neither of them having their phone was a borderline tragedy. How did people even function before the age of cell phones!?

"I, uh…" Hinata fidgeted. Her fingers pulled down the hem of her tight (way too short) club dress as a fresh blush consumed her face. "I can't find my... panties."

"Oh!" Naruto surveyed the room again as a blush of his own spread across his cheeks. "I haven't seen them." He looked back to her and she suddenly felt so naked knowing he knew she wasn't wearing any underwear.

Hinata supposed she didn't actually _need_ them, but the idea still made her squirm. In an attempt to fill the awkward silence, Naruto commented offhandedly, "This is a nice room you got."

Panties forgotten, Hinata froze and stared at him with wide eyes. "This isn't my room, I thought this was your room! Whose room is this?!"

Naruto shrugged. "This isn't even the hotel I'm staying at."

"Ohmygod!" Hinata's gaze darted around the room for answers and found none. "Let's just get out of here." She slipped her shoes on and walked over to the door. A fully dressed Naruto followed behind her, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Oop," he blurted and Hinata jerked in his direction with a questioning look.

Naruto gave her a sheepish grin as he slowly pulled his hand out of his pocket, holding a little triangle of black fabric. "I think I found your panties."

Completely mortified, Hinata snatched her underwear out of his hand and scurried into the ensuite bathroom. When she came back out, cheeks still flaming red, she couldn't even make eye contact with him. At what point in the night had she taken off her panties and given them to him?!

"Okay, you ready?" he asked with a nervous laugh and scratched the back of his head. With a curt nod, Hinata walked out the door. They made their way down the long stretch of hallway filled with identical doors and entered an elevator.

The descent to the main floor of the hotel felt much too long as they stood awkwardly beside each other. Hinata fought the urge to poke her fingers together, just to distract her mind from the fact that she had most definitely been intimate with this man, whom she barely even knew. He seemed just as uncomfortable, tapping his thighs to the beat of the old pop song the elevator quietly played.

"So, um, what brings you to Las Vegas?" she asked, trying to spark a conversation.

"Oh, yeah. I'm here with a group of guys for my buddy's bachelor party," Naruto replied.

"Cool."

"Yeah."

Thank god the elevator door opened.

Naruto and Hinata stepped out into the casino and were immediately assaulted by the ever-present stench of cigarette smoke and the excited whir of slot machines. In the afternoon hours, the majority of the casino patrons were old people. The carpet was an obnoxious geometric pattern.

Hinata glanced around for some signage that indicated which direction the exit was but became distracted in her search by the sound of Naruto's growling stomach.

"Hehe, sorry," he laughed. "I'm really hungry. Do you think we can stop by that coffee shop real quick?"

"Yeah, for sure," Hinata nodded. She could definitely use some caffeine, but… "I don't have any money on me."

"No worries, I got you," Naruto said with a dismissive wave. They ordered and found a seat inside the coffee shop at a small round table for two.

Hinata was feeling self-conscious, her outfit felt revealing last night, but in the light of day, it was nearing scandalous. She took a sip of the coffee and tried not to mind the passing glances of the other customers. She comforted herself with the knowledge that there was absolutely no way she was the first person to stumble around this casino in their clothes from the night before.

Being that the coffee shop didn't sell any actual substantial food, Naruto ended up just buying one of every pastry. She watched in quiet amusement as he took a bite of each to decide which one he liked best, before just eating all of them anyway.

After their quick breakfast (or maybe lunch was more accurate since it was already afternoon), Naruto and Hinata exited the casino onto the main street. Themed mega-hotels lined both sides of the boulevard. Electronic billboards flashed with their entertainment and fine dining options tempting guests to come inside.

Hinata and Sakura's hotel hadn't been that far, maybe two blocks up the street, but walking that distance in her high heels was torturous.

She tried to distract herself with casual conversation with Naruto, finding out that he too was visiting from New York City. She did however refrain from mentioning she grew up in the Upper East Side, one of Manhattan's most affluent neighborhoods, as it tends to garner some unwanted judgments.

After the tenth unanswered knock, Hinata sighed in defeat. It seemed Sakura wasn't inside their room. She had been worried that morning about Sakura worrying about her not coming back last night, but now she was worried if Sakura herself was okay.

She needed to get in contact with her pink-haired friend soon. Hopefully, she was alright, and if they were lucky she'll have memories from last night's misadventures.

"Maybe if we ask the front desk, they can make you a new key," Naruto suggested. The idea helped her perk up a bit and she nodded in agreement.

They made their way through the casino to the hotel's grand lobby lined with dozens of front desk clerks. Thankfully, they didn't have to wait long before they were helped.

"Hello and welcome!" a brunette woman greeted as they approached the desk. "Are you two checking in?"

"Oh no, actually I'm already checked in, but I was hoping I could get another room key," Hinata explained.

"Of course, what's the room number and name on the account?"

"Room 2386, Sakura Haruno."

The front desk agent typed away on her computer, looking up the information. Naruto remained quiet as he stood beside Hinata, and slipped his hands into his pockets.

His brow furrowed when he felt something in his pocket, and pulled it out to inspect the curious object. Naruto ran his fingers over what appeared to be a plastic token of sorts, colored in emerald green and gold. Too thin and small to be a poker chip. He squinted at the fine lettering that read 'Myoboku'.

The name didn't ring any bells.

"Alright, Sakura, if I could see some ID, then I can get you your key," the brunette's polite voice cut through his thoughts and brought him back to their current predicament. He slipped the token back in his pocket.

Hinata blanched. "Oh, my name is actually Hinata, but I don't have an ID on me right now."

The front desk agent frowned. "I'm afraid we're only able to provide duplicate keys to the person whose name is on the room."

"Ah, I understand," Hinata deflated. There goes any hope of reuniting with her cell phone.

"Is there anything else I could assist you with?"

"Actually yes," Hinata straightened back up. "Are there any wedding chapels nearby?"

The front desk agent seemed a little caught off guard by the question. "Well yes, there's probably about two dozen chapels within a five-mile radius of this property."

"Great..." Hinata grimaced. There was no way they'd be able to go to all of them in a day, and she can't even call because she doesn't have her damn cell phone to look up their numbers! "Thanks for your help."

Hinata was feeling discouraged as she turned to leave, but Naruto chimed in. "Actually, sorry, one more question," he smiled at the brunette. "Are you familiar with Myoboku?"

Her smile seemed a little more forced as she looked at Naruto as if assessing if he was asking a serious question. "Are you referring to the gentlemen's club?"

Blue eyes widened in surprise. That had not been his first guess, but he supposed that made sense. "Uhh, yeah. Where is it?"

Hinata pinched his arm and whispered, "what are you doing?"

With a somewhat disapproving look in her eyes, the front desk agent told him it was only a few blocks up and two streets over from the hotel.

"Great thanks," he smiled. Then grabbed Hinata's arm and started walking away.

"What was that all about? I mean I know you're here with a bachelor party and all, but I thought we were going to figure this thing out!"

Naruto handed her the token. "I didn't go to that strip club with my friends, but I found this in my pocket." Hinata looked it over, pursing her lips. "If we're assuming we've been together since we met at the club last night then—"

"We went there together," Hinata finished for him, cringing as the words came out. Naruto smiled and gave her a look that asked if she had any better leads.

She shook her head with a sigh. She couldn't believe she let him drag her to a strip club last night.

"Well let's stop by my hotel room first, we'll see if my friends remember anything and then we can go from there. Sound okay to you?" He asked.

When Naruto and Hinata navigated through the casino toward the exit, Hinata was mourning the fact that she wasn't going to be able to change her clothes without access to her hotel room. They passed by a gift shop and Hinata looked longingly at the mannequins in the window dressed in branded loungewear.

Naruto must have noticed her lingering gaze. "Did you need something?"

"I just want to change my clothes..." she pouted. Her feet throbbed as if to remind her. "... and get some shoes that are easier to walk in, but I don't have money."

"Why didn't you just say something?" he smiled, "I'll get for you." If these were normal circumstances, Hinata probably would have awkwardly refused, saying there was no way she could accept such generosity. But these weren't normal circumstances.

"That would be amazing," she cried, throwing her arms around his neck in an appreciative hug.

Hinata exhaled a sigh of relief when the pair stepped out of the gift shop. She was now dressed in a pale purple velour tracksuit with the hotel's logo embroidered over her heart and a pair of cheap flip flops. Not her most fashionable look, but she felt significantly more comfortable than she did in her skin tight club dress.

Naruto shot her a look of equal parts surprise and concern when she shoved her dress and shoes from last night into the nearest garbage can. "I wish I could've burned them," she deadpanned. He just chuckled and shook his head as he led them toward the hotel he and his friends were staying at.

Their hotel boasted a more classical architecture with fountains and statues of Roman gods in addition to the typical casino elements. Hinata blushed when the sculpted backside of one of the marble men reminded her of the very naked Naruto she met that morning. Thankful he didn't seem to notice as he guided them to a special set of elevators, exclusive for those staying in penthouse suites.

The sound of commotion on the other side of the door was promising. It was only a few knocks from Naruto before someone answered.

"Yooo! He's alive!" greeted a man with glasses who opened the door.

"Yeah, whatever Udon," Naruto chuckled, scratching the back of his neck. "You gonna let me in or what?"

Udon stepped out of the way, opening the door for his fellow groomsman to enter. "What happened to your face?" he asked, referring to Naruto's black eye.

But then Udon's attention shifted from Naruto's injury to the petite curvy woman he had in tow. "Who's your friend?" he asked with a teasing smirk.

Naruto glanced over at Hinata, her posture was a little tense and definitely reserved. Uncomfortable pale eyes scanned the spacious suite. Liquor bottles, beer cans, and loose articles of clothing littered every surface.

"This is Hinata." She gave Udon a tight-lipped smile. What was the right way to act around the friends of your one night stand?

Thankfully, Naruto was quick to change the subject away from her. "Anyway, where's our groom? Is he still having fun?"

Udon laughed. "Well right now he's got his head in the toilet, but he said he'll rally. I won two grand playing slots last night, so we're getting a cabana down by the pool. You coming?"

"Oh, uh. I actually have a situation I need to take care of."

Udon's eyes flickered over to Hinata. "I can see that."

"Ugh, shut up! I'll try to hurry and meet back up with you guys at the pool though."

"Don't rush on our account!" Udon said, holding back another laugh. "You wouldn't want to leave a bad impression on your friend here."

Hinata blushed and averted her gaze when she caught on to his insinuation. "Fuck you, man!" Naruto chuckled, even though his own face was a little red. "That's not what I'm talking about!"

Naruto walked over to his suitcase, rummaging through it before pulling out a simple, orange hoodie. Without concern for modesty, he began unbuttoning his now wrinkled dress shirt. "By the way, um, did you see me last night?"

"What do you mean?" Udon questioned.

"Like, well, I must have blacked out really hard, because I don't remember a goddamn thing."

"Yeah I guess, we all went pretty hard last night!" Udon snickered, looking pointedly over at their friend who was still passed out on the couch. "We pregamed in the suite together, then we ate at that buffet and hit the club. We must have lost you in there though because we didn't see you again until we were in that fancy casino up the street a couple of hours later."

"And you don't remember meeting Hinata?" Naruto asked, pulling the orange hoodie over his head.

"Actually, now that you mention it, I think she was with you at that blackjack table. But there were a lot of people around you, so I could be wrong."

"Cool, thanks, that's helpful," Naruto said as he started ushering Hinata out the door. "Sorry, but we gotta get going."

"Wait, you aren't going to say anything to our groom?"

Naruto grimaced. "Tell him I'm really sorry and that I'll make it up to him."

"Ya know, this is why _I'm_ the best man!" Udon called after him. Naruto responded with his middle finger.

Back in the elevator, Naruto and Hinata knew they needed to decide on a new game plan.

"So, uh, where to next?" she asked even though she had a pretty good idea of what he'd say. It was a valid suggestion (and she didn't have any better ideas) much to her chagrin.

"We gotta go to this Myoboku place, right?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for all the support so far! I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments!!  
> follow me on twitter [@vegebul_soup](https://twitter.com/vegebul_soup)


	3. Chapter 3

The contrast between the bright afternoon sun and the darkened strip club caused both Naruto and Hinata to squint as they walked into Myoboku. After giving herself a moment to adjust to the dim lighting, Hinata's pale lavender eyes surveyed the room.

It was classier than she expected, but then again, she had really low expectations.

Despite it being the middle of the afternoon, there were still several customers watching as a lone topless dancer leisurely swayed her hips to the sultry music and spun around her pole with surprising strength. Hinata struggled to pull her gaze away, the dancer's movements were almost hypnotic.

"I thought you _didn't_ want to come here," Naruto whispered. She quickly remembered herself and turned to him to find a teasing smile on his lips.

Hinata was thankful the dim lighting hid her blush. She decided to ignore his comment and refocus on the task at hand. "Maybe we should talk to the bartender, see if he was here last night."

"Alright," Naruto agreed with a nod.

The pair walked deeper into the strip club. The main area was sunken in a few stairs and had several small cocktail tables that faced toward the grand stage where a dancer performed. There also appeared to be several private booths that lined the perimeter of the main performance area with smaller stages and sheer curtains for a hint of privacy and exclusivity. The upholstery was a soft velvet, the colors all rich jewel tones. The stone toad statues were a little weird, but somehow it worked.

The bartender was wiping down the counter when he spotted Naruto and Hinata and gave them a nod of acknowledgment. He approached them with a smile, throwing down two coasters before asking, "what can I get you?"

"Actually we didn't come to drink, we were hoping to talk to someone who was here last night," Naruto explained.

"Oh, well I wasn't working, but our manager is here almost all the time. You could try him."

"Great, where can we find him?" Hinata asked.

Her gaze followed the pointed finger of the bartender to a white-haired man sitting at one of the frontmost tables as he ogled at the dancer on stage.

This had to be a joke.

Naruto started toward the man, and Hinata reluctantly followed. The manager did a double-take when they neared him, a big grin spreading across his face. "Look what the cat dragged in!" he said with a laugh. "You guys came back for more?!"

Hinata was pretty embarrassed to be recognized by the manager of a strip club but hopeful he might be able to shed some light on their previous night's activities. Jiraiya reintroduced himself and invited them to sit with him. Naruto explained their situation, asking if he had any recollection of where they came from, where they went when they left, or what they were doing there in the first place.

"Well, let's see," Jiraiya hummed as he stroked his chin. "I first noticed you guys after you ordered all that food, and as a token of my appreciation I threw in a free lap dance with one of our best girls."

Hinata furrowed her brow, unaware they served food at strip clubs.

"Ya know, we were being really generous last night, customers usually get kicked out for getting handsy with the dancers…"

A red-faced Naruto glanced at Hinata before he started sputtering out an apology, "Oh god… I'm sorry! I mean, I wasn't really myself last night, you see…"

But his ramblings were cut off when Jiraiya burst into a rowdy fit of laughter. "I wasn't talking about you kid, I was talking about her." He pointed a finger at Hinata, who flushed even harder than Naruto (if that was possible).

"Wh-what?!" she choked out. Naruto just gaped at her like he too couldn't believe what she had just been accused of.

"Yeah, after that lap dance, you and Ino were dancing all up on each other. She seemed pretty enamored with you guys." Jiraiya told them. "Actually, Ino would probably know more than me. She should be here now, getting ready in her dressing room. You could pay her a visit, I'm sure she wouldn't mind."

Still trying to control their blushing cheeks, Naruto and Hinata exchanged a look. They knew they needed to go talk to this Ino girl if they hoped to get any more information from this little excursion to Myoboku.

Jiraiya let them past a velvet rope that granted access to a curved staircase. On the upper floor was a hallway lined with doors all labeled with names to denote each dancer's dressing room. Naruto and Hinata searched for one name in particular.

The dressing room door was open so Hinata curiously stepped inside. The space wasn't very big, but the decor and color choices were rather posh. Racks full of costumes filled the far wall, along with shelves lined with dozens of pairs of dangerously high heels. Three rather scandalous outfits were laid out on a blush-colored chaise lounge.

A gorgeous girl with a long platinum blonde ponytail sat in front of a brightly lit vanity mirror as she applied a pink gloss to her lips. Her fishnet body suit sneakily peeked out from under a plum-colored silk robe.

The blonde must have spotted them in the reflection of her mirror. When she turned around, her face lit up with recognition.

"You're back!" she cheered and skipped over to greet them. Both of them were relieved she remembered them, hoping she would be able to answer some of their questions.

Hinata was startled when Ino grabbed her and greeted her with a big kiss right on the lips. Not a mere peck, but a slow caress of her lips that stirred something unexpected in Hinata's belly. Her lips were soft and full, the kiss a little sticky from her lip gloss, but sweet like vanilla. When she pulled away Hinata was blushing, completely shocked and flustered.

"So did you come to ask Jiraiya for a job? Because if you work here, we could make some serious bank doing duets." Ino's hands lingered on Hinata's waist. Her mind was still fuzzy, reeling from such an unexpected kiss.

"I, uh, I don't live here," she muttered. Hinata wasn't sure why that was what she chose to say when there were at least a dozen more important reasons why she wasn't going to become a stripper in Las Vegas.

"We actually came back to ask you a question." Hinata's blush wouldn't subside with the way Ino's thumb stroked the exposed skin of her hip.

"Oh...oh!" Ino's face brightened like she understood. "I'm so flattered!" Her icy blue gaze slid to Naruto, who swallowed nervously. Ino maintained eye contact with him as a mischievous smile spread across her rose painted lips. She grabbed the zipper of Hinata's jacket and ever so slowly pulled it down to reveal her cleavage. Her voice was so sultry and smooth as she spoke, "you guys are both so cute. I'd love to."

Ino's smile faltered when she looked back at Hinata and admitted, "but I'm not off for a few more hours. What hotel are you staying at?" She tucked Hinata's hair behind her ear. Her fingertips skated along her jaw before pushing her chin up so their lips were only a breath away. "I can meet you there later."

"Huh?" Hinata was so confused, both by the situation and the rapid pace of her heart.

Thankfully Naruto piped up. "Oh uh... umm, as great as that sounds... We actually didn't come to ask you to have sex with us." With that comment, the weird spell Ino had her under broke and Hinata jerked her head to gape at Naruto. "Neither of us remember much about what happened last night and we're trying to piece everything together."

Hinata's head was still spinning, staring blankly at Naruto as he did his best to explain their situation to Ino.

A threesome?! Ino had so quickly accepted what she thought was an offer to have a _threesome_ with them?!

"Oh haha yeah, I feel like I was most interested in your little wife here," Ino said before she leaned in to softly bump her nose against Hinata's. "But I'm pretty sure you guys came here just the two of you."

"Do you happen to remember what time we left or where we were going?"

"Hmm, I don't remember what time, but you kept talking about how this was the luckiest night of your life," Ino giggled at the memory. "So if I had to guess, I'd say you guys hit the casino after here."

"Oh thank you so much!" Naruto cheered. "You've been such a great help!"

"Yeah, thank you," Hinata mumbled to Ino who just gave her a little smile in return.

Naruto and Hinata stood outside Myoboku, the late afternoon sun still unbearably bright. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I uh, I didn't know I... was attracted to girls," Hinata muttered, still trying to make sense of what the hell just happened in there.

"Well hey, if you wanted to go back in there and tell Ino she is welcome to a threesome with us, I — as your husband — am willing to make that sacrifice for you!" Naruto was grinning as if having sex with two beautiful women was anything but a sacrifice.

"Shut up," Hinata grumbled, fighting a smile as she playfully elbowed Naruto. "Where to now? I don't know if that really gave us much to work with."

"Well, she called you my wife, so now we know we went to the chapel before the strip club. And Udon said he saw us playing blackjack at that fancy casino up the street. So I feel like maybe we can try there?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lol thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this update! I love reading all your comments, so please share your thoughts and reactions!


	4. Chapter 4

Naruto and his friend had both described it as the ' _fancy'_ casino up the street and when they walked in Hinata started to realize why. They had been in three other properties that day, all very grand and chic, but this one was much more elegant in its decor. The patrons of a wealthier class. They passed several high-end designer stores on their way to the casino.

Trying to look for any clues to jog their memory, Naruto and Hinata entered the area for table games. The sounds of gimmicky slot machines were replaced by cards being shuffled, poker chips clinking against one another, and the spin of a roulette wheel.

Smartly dressed dealers stood behind felt-covered semicircle tables wearing inviting smiles. They flicked cards facedown to the few sitting up to their table before the gamblers pushed forward a small stack of chips.

There was something enticing about the silent questioning looks everyone gave one another, trying to read the other's hand through their facial expression alone.

Hinata had always wanted to play poker in a real casino. But despite growing up wealthy, she had some rather frugal habits that made gambling seem like a waste of money.

Naruto, on the other hand, appeared to have the exact opposite attitude. "Hey, you think we should take a little break from our investigation and play a few rounds?" he asked, his hopeful tone like a child asking for dessert.

The offer was tempting. Hinata had majored statistics in university and with some casino games, like blackjack, you can play the odds if you're good enough at mental math and calculating probability. She considered telling Naruto she wanted to play but before she had the chance to reply an older blonde woman strode up to them with fury in her eyes.

The woman grabbed a fistful of Naruto's hoodie and dragged him down to eye level with a surprising amount of strength and hostility. Hinata froze in place, her hands covering the shocked noise that escaped her lips.

"How dare you show your face in my casino!" the woman sneered. Naruto cringed as his nervous blue eyes darted around, looking for answers.

"Tsunade, please," begged a dealer with short black hair who stood behind them. A distressed expression contorting her features. "You don't need to do this! Just call security and have him escorted out."

"For what?" Naruto murmured, totally lost. The commotion was starting to attract the attention of the other casino patrons.

"Oh you think you're fucking funny, don't you?!" Tsunade barked, her face so close to his, their noses nearly touched. "You think you can make a fool of me?! Cheating in my casino?! I ought to give you another black eye!"

Well, that answered the mystery of his injured face.

Hinata nervously glanced at all their spectators. She should do something! Deescalate the situation!

But how!?

She didn't know what to say, because she didn't have any recollection of what Naruto was even being accused of!

Thankfully, someone else chimed in.

"Hey! Hey! Tsunade! Let's take it down a notch." Angry amber eyes flickered to the side to find Officer Kiba Inuzuka and his canine companion. "I'll escort him out for you," he offered politely.

Her glare returned to Naruto, who tried his best not to whimper in fear of the older woman. Tsunade let go of his shirt and shoved him away.

Hinata exhaled a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding.

Naruto's relief was short-lived when Kiba grabbed him by the arm and started pulling him toward the exit. "Come on, let's go."

He peeked over his shoulder and found Hinata following closely behind them. Beyond her stood Tsunade still seething as she watched him get eighty-sixed.

Kiba leaned in closer to him and whispered, "Counting cards while Tsunade is around? You must be stupidly confident or have some kind of death wish?"

"I don't even know how to do that..." Naruto mumbled back.

"Suuureee."

When they stepped out of the casino's main doors, a big police SUV was waiting outside. Another officer with sunglasses, Shino Aburame, stood beside it quietly analyzing the scene.

"Am I being arrested?!" Blue eyes frantically flickered between the officers and Hinata, who was quietly staring at her feet.

"Nah," Kiba lightly shook his head. "Counting cards isn't actually illegal, but it'll definitely make you some enemies." He looked at Naruto's black eye. "And get you socked by a fiery-tempered pit boss. If you go back inside though, you will be trespassing. "

"I wasn't counting cards though!" Naruto defended. "I don't even know how!"

"Naruto! Stop it," Hinata whispered harshly.

He turned to her with confusion written all over his face and Hinata mumbled something he couldn't quite hear, her gaze still on her feet, dark bangs hid her face. "What'd you say?" he asked, taking a step closer.

"I can," she whispered.

"What?"

She finally peeked up at him, her pale eyes overflowing with guilt. "I can count cards," she muttered. "It's my fault you got hurt."

"Hinata, it's okay! Don't worry, I'm fine!" he assured her, taking her hand and giving it a squeeze. He glanced over at the officers before leaning down to get even closer and whispered. "But… how?"

"You two are trouble makers," the officer with sunglasses said, interrupting their whispered conversation.

They looked back toward the police SUV, where Officer Kiba was letting his dog in the back seat and Officer Shino was staring at them with his arms crossed like he just remembered where he recognized them from.

"The reason is because you were also kicked out of Akimichi Grill last night," Shino elaborated.

"Akimichi?!" Kiba interjected. "Is that the one where that celebrity chef cooks the food in front of you?"

"Yes, it's called teppanyaki."

"I've been meaning to take my girlfriend there!" Kiba told his partner.

"You should. It is quite an experience," Shino nodded.

"Wait!" Hinata called, reigning in their tangent. "Where's this restaurant at?"

At this point, Hinata wished she had her phone on her just to track all the goddamn steps she had taken that day marching up and down Las Vegas Boulevard over the course of their little mission. And she was also probably taking twice as many steps as Naruto being that his longer legs afforded him bigger strides.

She didn't complain (out loud) though because at the very least she was grateful she was wearing her gift shop flip flops instead of that ridiculous pair of high heels.

They found Akimichi Grill inside the hotel the police officers had described. It was weird, Hinata had thought going to the same places would help them remember what they did the previous night but still no luck.

Everywhere they visited felt vaguely familiar, but her mind wouldn't supply her with any of the memories she so desperately wanted.

Naruto and Hinata tread lightly as they approached the restaurant, worrying they may receive a similar welcome like they had by Tsunade at the casino. They asked the hostess if anyone from the previous night was there that they could talk to. Unfortunately, their waiter wasn't working that day, but if they were willing to wait they could speak with the chef that cooked for them.

The pair took a seat at the front of the restaurant and waited, both fearing someone would recognize them and kick them out again before they got any answers.

"Oh, it's you guys!" Hinata looked up to find a chubby man with a big grin dressed in a pristine white chef's jacket. Embroidered over his breast was ' _Choji Akimichi, Executive Chef'._

Holy shit!

"Hi!" Naruto greeted as he stood. "We just wanted to apologize about last night."

Hinata was starstruck, still trying to wrap her brain around the fact that the celebrity chef, Choji Akimichi, cooked in front of them last night! How was Naruto acting so cool about this?! Did he not know this guy had like three shows on the foodie channel?!

"I appreciate you coming all this way to say that!" Choji smiled.

"Well, there was actually another reason we came back..." Naruto told him, nervously scratching the back of his head. "...neither of us remember last night, and we were hoping someone could tell us why we got kicked out or anything else you may have known about what we were doing?"

With a hand on his round belly, Choji let out a happy laugh. "You guys got kicked out for trying to start a fistfight, but I didn't really mind because I appreciated your passion for my food."

"Who was I fighting?" Naruto asked, hoping he wasn't trying to brawl with Hinata of all people in a restaurant.

"You guys came in with a big group celebrating a wedding…" Hinata and Naruto exchanged a look. "... wait, wasn't it your guys' wedding?" Choji looked puzzled.

"Haha, yeah probably."

The chef laughed again and continued his story, "anyway, your dark-haired friend, I think his name was Sasuke, was trying to say he had had better teppanyaki, but then you got up and practically tackled him and said that my food was the best in the world." Choji preened as he regaled Naruto's high praises.

"Sasuke?" Naruto mumbled to himself. He didn't know anyone by that name.

"I mean, obviously we had to make you guys leave, but I couldn't really be mad about how much you loved my cooking."

"Of course the food was good, you're you!" Hinata interjected and Choji gave her a bright smile. Man, she really wished she remembered what his food tasted like! She loved watching his shows, especially the one where he travels to different cities and tries specialty dishes.

"Do you happen to remember what chapel we came from?" Naruto asked hopefully.

"Hmm, let's see," Choji hummed, "I want to say it was that little chapel across the street with the white bricks. You were talking about walking here, and that's the closest one."

Naruto grabbed his hand, shaking it excitedly. "Oh thank you so much!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I received a negative comment (on ff.net) regarding this fic's similarities to The Hangover, tbh I figured it was obvious that this fic was inspired by that movie from the summary alone, but I just wanted to acknowledge that yes, it does pull ideas from that movie as well as a few other tropes of how Las Vegas is portrayed in media. The hotels, the restaurant, the nightclub, and even some of the character portrayals are inspired by their real-world counterparts. I don't know why some people leave negative comments when they could just save themselves the time and not bother reading a story they don't enjoy, but anyway I digress. 
> 
> I want to thank all those who have left a kudos for this fic, I so appreciate you! I love hearing your thoughts/reactions in the comments! I hope you enjoyed this little update and the cameos of some of our favs! they're getting closer to solving this little mystery, but there's still so many unanswered questions!


	5. Chapter 5

Naruto and Hinata hurried out of the hotel, finally, the clues added up to where they had been trying to get to all day, the wedding chapel they allegedly got married in last night.

As they made their way toward the main boulevard, Naruto noticed the way people lined the perimeter of the artificial lake outside of the front of the hotel.

"Hold up!" he called, grabbing Hinata's hand. She turned to him, confused as he checked the time on his watch. "I know you're anxious but…"

His attention drifted to the lake and suddenly hidden speakers began playing a jazzy tune. Water shot up from the lake in a beautiful display, dancing in time with a man's soulful voice.

"I love the foundations," Naruto shyly admitted before turning back toward the lake. Hinata softly smiled as her eyes flickered between the water show, Naruto, and their joined hands. She settled beside him without protest and took a moment to let herself enjoy the show.

Once the song concluded and the dancing fountains receded back into the lake, they were off again toward the chapel. Hand in hand.

He could see the way she tensed nervously when the little wedding chapel came into view. White bricks just like Chef Choji described.

"Hinata," Naruto began, his comforting hand giving hers a soft squeeze. Her pale gaze was fixed on the building, the moment of truth feeling more daunting than she expected. "It's going to be fine. Even if we are really married, what's the worst thing that would happen? We'll just get divorced and you have to give me half of all your money."

Hinata wretched her head in his direction, her expression a mixture of horror and surprise.

"Oh my god! You're rich aren't you?!" He held his stomach, folding over and bursting with rowdy laughter. "Only an actual rich person would have a reaction like that. Hinata chill, it was a joke!"

Hinata gave him a pouty little frown, not appreciating being teased. But after everything she knew about Naruto from spending the day with him, she should've known he wouldn't try to take advantage of the situation like that.

If anything, he'd been incredibly accommodating all day. Asking her how she was feeling and making a point to communicate his thought process when it came to their investigation.

It was refreshing compared to the way her ex-boyfriend made her jump through hoops to figure out why he was frustrated or irritable.

It honestly felt impossible to imagine Naruto irritated, he was just so easy going, so playful and sweet, so…

Suddenly Hinata's gaze was tracing his masculine jawline. Admiring the way his messy blonde hair somehow still seemed intentional. He turned to her, and she was momentarily lost in the depth of his ocean blue eyes.

"Are we going in?" Naruto said, his brow furrowed like he had just repeated himself. She hadn't even realized she spaced out.

A faint blush spreading across her cheeks as she nodded and averted her gaze. What were with those thoughts anyway?!

So what if Naruto was super attractive? That was completely irrelevant to their mission.

Hinata let go of his hand and took purposeful steps forward, mentally preparing herself as the pair made their way into the chapel.

"Hello!" greeted a woman with bright red hair and glasses. "My name is Karin. How can I help you today?"

The redhead stood behind a wooden reception desk with two immaculate flower arrangements of white roses sitting on top. Soft classical music filled the room. It was all very bridal.

"Hi," Hinata replied as she and Naruto approached the reception desk. "I know this might sound a little weird, but we think we got married here last night, is there any way you can confirm that?"

"Oh, sure," Karin smiled. They provided her their names and she typed them into her tablet and scrolled through the chapel's database.

Nervous pale eyes wandered around the space. A small, but very official-looking chapel could be seen at the end of the hallway.

A part of Hinata had wished they'd show up and it would be all very silly with an Elvis impersonator conducting the ceremonies, so that she would know it was just some fun, mock wedding. But this place looked pretty legit with its flower and cake menus on display.

"Ah yes." Karin's face lit up. "So I found all your information, but we haven't finished your picture package yet. If you have ten minutes, I could get it expedited."

"So was the wedding real?!" Hinata blurted, her usual politeness thrown out the window as a nervous knot coiled in her stomach. She felt Naruto's warm hand on her back, trying to soothe her.

Taking in her worried expression, Karin sighed and set down her tablet. "I take it you would prefer it wasn't?"

Both Naruto and Hinata nodded, a mixture of guilt and embarrassment on their faces.

"It's no problem," she reassured them. "When we have last-minute requests in the middle of the night, we wait 72 hours to file the paperwork with the courthouse for this exact situation." They waited with bated breath for the final confirmation. "You aren't legally married," Karin concluded.

"Oh thank god!" Hinata exhaled a dramatic sigh of relief. Her attention then jerked to Naruto. "No offense!"

"None taken," he chuckled and ran a hand through his blonde hair.

Karin flipped through some files before offering them a folder. "Here's your paperwork. Did you still want the pictures? You already paid for them." Hinata winced, wondering how much exactly they had spent on this little wedding.

"Why not?" Naruto answered with a shrug.

Karin stepped into a back room, while Hinata opened their file. Inside was a certificate with their signatures along with the names Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha signed on the witness lines.

That was the second time the name Sasuke came up during their little investigation.

Eventually, Karin returned to the reception desk and offered them a glossy white envelope with their names written in an elegant, loopy script.

When Hinata pulled out the largest picture of the set, about the same size as a normal sheet of paper, she was absolutely mortified. An involuntary gasp escaped her lips and Naruto peeked over her shoulder to check it out.

In the photo, Hinata is wearing a cheap little crown in her hair with a sheer veil they stretched down her back. They were standing at an altar that was decorated in white flowers and ribbons. Or more accurately, Naruto was standing at the altar and she was clinging to him with all her limbs. Her legs wrapped around his waist, his hands holding her up by her ass. Hinata cringed at the way she was practically spilling out of the bottom of her dress. Her arms were wrapped around his neck, and they were engaged in a kiss that even in the photo you can tell had some serious tongue.

"Ya know, we could reenact the photo if you think it'll jog your memory..." Naruto whispered with a teasing grin.

Hinata tried to ignore his comment even as she flushed bright red.

The friends standing beside them in the photo seemed completely unfazed by their behavior as if it was totally normal for them to be practically dry humping each other in front of them.

A sudden fear struck her that maybe their companions were desensitized, because she and Naruto acted like that all night. Hinata was reminded of the hickeys on her neck that she discovered in the gift shop dressing room when she changed her clothes. Her face felt too hot for comfort.

Sakura was in the picture holding hands with a tall man whose dark hair obscured the majority of his face. They deduced this must be Sasuke, who signed the papers and went out to dinner with them.

Beyond his name, neither knew anything about him. But Hinata figured if she wanted to find Sakura, tracking down Sasuke might be her best lead.

After packing away their photos and giving their thanks to Karin, Naruto and Hinata walked out of the wedding chapel together.

She was really relieved that they weren't actually married and glad that they got this whole debacle sorted out. But… there was a little and unexpected lump of disappointment nagging at the back of her mind. Now that they completed their mission, she supposed Naruto will go back to his friends.

And she'll probably never see him again.

"So what are you up to now?" Naruto asked, turning his bright gaze toward her.

"Well, I still need to find my friend, Sakura. I think she might be with this Sasuke guy we keep hearing about. Are you going to meet up with your bachelor party?"

It was almost evening, the desert sunset painted the sky in soft hues of orange. It was likely his friends had already left the pool and Hinata suddenly felt guilty that he was missing out on all their fun.

"I can stay with you until you find her," he smiled softly. "I know you don't have your phone or any money. I would hate for something to happen to you."

Despite that very sound reasoning and the fluttering feeling in her stomach at his sweet concern for her well being, Hinata couldn't help but try to decline his offer. Fearing being even more of an imposition than she already was.

"Oh, you don't have to do that! You should be celebrating that groom friend of yours. I'll be -" Hinata trailed off when she noticed something. Her pale eyes grew wide, staring past him in shock.

Naruto turned around and followed her line of sight to find what had stolen her attention.

Behind him was a billboard featuring the man from their wedding photos. A close up of just his face, his dark hair swept over his serious expression. His eyes were photoshopped to an ominous red.

In bold lettering read:

_SASUKE UCHIHA  
_ _ILLUSIONIST_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys like this update! I look forward to hearing your thoughts in the comments!


	6. Chapter 6

It suddenly made sense as to why the name Sasuke sounded so familiar. He was headlining his own show at the very hotel Naruto and his friends were staying at.

The billboard they saw indicated he performed twice nightly, so Naruto and Hinata rushed back to his hotel, making a beeline for the box office. Hopefully, they'd be able to get tickets to Sasuke's show and somehow find a way to talk to him.

Okay, so it wasn't like a really well thought out plan, but with the clock ticking they needed to get moving before the show ended and Sasuke slipped through their fingers.

Hinata was thankful she didn't insist Naruto go back to his friends, especially after he paid for their rather pricey tickets to Sasuke's show. They lined up with the other ticket holders and were pushing through the crowds to get inside the moment the doors opened.

Music played as the guests filed into the theatre. Despite its large size and high ceilings, the space still managed to feel intimate. The near two hundred seats were covered in red velvet cushions and curved in a semicircle around the stage where a classic red curtain was drawn.

"No one gets backstage without special permission," the stern security guard told them.

Hinata knew she and Naruto looked ridiculous trying to sneak around a very well protected backstage especially while being significantly underdressed compared to many of the other audience members, who were finding their seats in the theatre.

"We just need to talk to Sasuke for a few minutes," Hinata begged, giving him the saddest puppy dog eyes.

"He's a friend of ours!" Naruto added.

"Yeah sure, _everyone_ is friends with Sasuke," the security guard rolled his eyes like he had heard that exact line before.

"No, I swear! Do you want to see our wedding photos?" Naruto pressed. Hinata elbowed him and grumbled at him to never show those photos to anyone.

A mixture of frustration and hopelessness stirred in her gut, they were so close yet so far. Hinata supposed they could wait until after the show and try again, but that was likely to yield the same result.

"Hinata!" someone excitedly called from backstage.

Lavender eyes widened at the sound. Hinata had never been happier to hear Sakura's voice.

"And Naruto!"

Okay, maybe that was a lie because hearing Sakura call out to Naruto - like she knew who he was, like she remembered last night - was even better.

After a brief chat with the security guard and Sakura flashing her apparently very special pass, Hinata and Naruto were allowed backstage. A wave of relief washed over Hinata as the two friends embraced. She was so glad to see Sakura was perfectly safe.

"I'm so sorry! I'm such a bad friend!" Sakura apologized. They pulled back enough to look at each other, but they remained in each other's arms. Hinata noticed the guilt in Sakura's green eyes. "I should have tried to find you sooner, but today was such a whirlwind. We woke up and Sasuke took me out to brunch at this restaurant with the most gorgeous view of the fountains. Then he sent me to the spa while he had rehearsal. I just I've been floating on cloud nine all day wrapped up in Sasuke and I totally neglected you! Oh my god, I'm the worst, can you forgive me?"

Hinata hummed her disagreement. "Sakura, it's fine, really! I'm just glad you're safe, I was worried when I stopped by our room earlier."

The girls smiled and pulled each other into another hug, and that was when Hinata noticed Sakura was wearing an outfit she had never seen her friend wear before. Hinata grew up wealthy, and she could spot a designer dress when she saw one. "New dress?" she asked with a smile.

Sakura blushed, "It was a gift from Sasuke."

"That's so funny, Naruto got me my outfit too," she giggled. Naruto just snorted a laugh as Hinata gestured to her gift shop tracksuit because it was probably at least a tenth of the cost of Sakura's designer dress.

Sakura laughed too, but she was just glad to see her friend smiling again. After her break up, Hinata had been in quite the funk, and though this trip didn't go quite as planned it seemed to have the intended effect on Hinata's mood.

"Where is Sasuke now?" Hinata asked. "We were hoping to talk to you guys about last night."

"Oh! Let's go back into his dressing room! He's relaxing before the show starts," Sakura beamed as she guided Hinata and Naruto deeper backstage.

Even though she spent her day on a wild goose chase with Naruto while Sakura was relaxing at the spa, Hinata was happy to hear about how her pink-haired friend was being spoiled by this handsome new guy.

They walked into the dressing room to find Sasuke, the man they had been hearing so much about. He wore a pair of tight, black distressed jeans, a billowy white button-up with several of the buttons undone, and showing off his chest.

Sasuke nodded at them in acknowledgment.

Sakura walked over to the minibar and poured herself a drink. "Are you guys thirsty? Can I get you anything?"

"I'm good!" Naruto answered.

"No, thank you," Hinata smiled.

Both of them still a little weary of drinking after their night of debauchery and resulting hangover.

"We were actually hoping we could talk about last night," Hinata began. "You see, we both don't really remember anything beyond that nightclub. Even meeting each other is rather fuzzy."

"Yeah, we've been piecing together the night," Naruto added before diving into what they already learned, highlighting the fact that the nightclub and how they ultimately decided to get married was still unclear.

Sakura laughed, "Well I know I definitely had too much to drink too, I wasn't really in my right mind when I encouraged you to go along with that little pretend wedding..."

Hinata winced, deciding not to correct Sakura that the wedding had in fact been legit.

"I had just never seen you so happy, going on and on about love at first sight..."

Heat spread across her cheeks as Sakura continued to describe how much Hinata said she liked Naruto last night. She wondered if it had been her idea to get married in the first place, with her sister's wedding right around the corner, Hinata wondered if she harbored more jealousy than she was willing to admit.

"...he's the perfect combination of sexy and cute! He's my dream man," Sakura recalled Hinata telling her.

Pale eyes glanced over at Naruto to see that he too was feeling rather embarrassed by the story. Naruto let out a light laugh as he scratched the back of his head, unsure of how to react to such flattery. Sakura then invited Sasuke to give his take on the evening.

"Let's see... I met you guys at Insomnia after Sakura pointed out Hinata as her friend, and I saw both of you sitting at Orochimaru's VIP booth," Sasuke answered. "I came over to try to get you away from him."

Naruto and Hinata chewed on that information for a moment. Both feeling as though that sounded vaguely familiar.

"Wait, Orochimaru? Did he have like long black hair?" Naruto asked. "I feel like I remember him being super nice and giving me free drinks and stuff."

Sasuke sighed and shook his head. "Well, if you accepted a drink from him that might explain the memory loss."

"What do you mean?" Naruto frowned, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"I mean, like he drugged you."

Hinata was scandalized by the suggestion alone. "Wh-why would anyone do that?!"

"I don't know, because he's a sick motherfucker," Sasuke shrugged, like that explained everything. "All he does is toy with people like they're his own personal test subjects. The first night I met him, I woke up with a broken wrist and giant fucking snake tattoo on my back."

Hinata had a thousand questions about this Orochimaru fellow, but suddenly they were interrupted by a knock at the door and the stage manager saying that Sasuke needed to get in place for the start of his show.

She ultimately decided to let the subject go. Their mission from this morning had been taken care of and she was finally reunited with Sakura. All's well that ends well, she supposed.

Hinata resolved to let herself relax for the first time since she woke up that morning and just enjoy Sasuke's performance.

Even though the show was amazing, Hinata couldn't help that her attention kept drifting to Naruto as he oohed and awed at every flashy trick. A smile tugging at her lips at his handsome features and honest wonderment.

Even after they spent all day trekking up and down The Strip piecing together the night they spent together, she was still happy to be with him. It was a ridiculous and stressful experience, but weirdly fun.

Hinata found herself wondering if that was just an innate ability of his, that he puts people at ease with his warm presence alone, or if maybe it was just her.

She was under the influence of god knows what when she boldly declared Naruto as her dream man last night — and as embarrassing as that was — maybe it wasn't really that far from the truth. Naruto was funny, charming, and his touch had an unusually comforting effect on her.

But her time with him was quickly running out.

Sasuke bowed to a riotous applause and the curtain drew closed in front of him. Naruto walked her out of the theater as Sakura excused herself backstage to say her goodbyes to Sasuke in the privacy of his dressing room.

Hinata realized that it was time for her and Naruto to say goodbye as well. Her and Sakura's flight home was in the morning, and she had kept him from his friends long enough.

The only problem was... she didn't know what to say.

She bit her lip as she mentally debated whether she should give him her phone number and ask to stay in touch. Would he want to see her again when they both returned home or would he rather just wash his hands of this whole mess?

Maybe what happens in Vegas, really should just stay in Vegas.

New York was a big city, they could keep living their lives and probably never run into each other again.

Would it be totally ridiculous to want to kiss him goodbye?

Hinata's gaze fell to his lips. It's not fair that she had kissed him and doesn't remember. If they'll never see each other again, maybe that's the closure that would help her walk away.

Hinata tried to muster up the courage to lean forward and press her lips against his in a bittersweet goodbye, but suddenly a rowdy group interrupted them.

"What the fuck, Naruto!?" the groom of their bachelor party called as he jumped on the blonde and put him in a headlock. The rest of the boys from Naruto's bachelor party followed closely behind. "I heard you went to a strip club?! It's my last weekend as a free man and you didn't think to bring me?!"

Naruto struggled out of his grasp and the pair laughed as they playfully pushed each other. Neither of them noticed how surprised Hinata was, staring at them with wide lavender eyes.

"Ahh! Hinata!?" Konohamaru blurted the moment his gaze finally drifted to the woman Naruto had been talking to. His hands flew up to guard his face. "What I meant to say is I hate strippers!"

Hinata sighed. As much as she didn't love the idea of Konohamaru drooling over a bunch of naked women she was really in no position to judge when it came to strippers.

Confused blue eyes glanced back and forth between Hinata and Konohamaru. "Wait, you guys know each other?"

They both turned to Naruto and Konohamaru answered, "what do you mean? Can't you see the resemblance? She's Hanabi's big sis!" Konohamaru gestured to Hinata's face before punching Naruto in the arm. "Which means you're getting me in trouble with my future sister-in-law!"

Konohamaru's attention returned to Hinata. "What was he saying to you? Nothing embarrassing right? Honestly, don't listen to him! I swear he's the pervert, not me!"

"Excuse you," Naruto grumbled.

"Actually wait, what are you even doing here? Is Hanabi here?!" Konohamaru surveyed the area nervously. Hinata tried to hold back a laugh, wondering why her sister's fiancé would act like she was trying to bust him for having a regular bachelor party.

"No, no," Hinata shook her head. "I'm here with my friend, we were just doing a little girls' trip."

"Oh, what a small world," Konohamaru chuckled.

Hinata glanced at Naruto, and they exchanged shy smiles. "Yeah, it is a small world."

As luck would have it, they didn't have to say goodbye that day, as they would be seeing each other again at Konohamaru and Hanabi's wedding the following weekend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you expect this little twist?! haha thank you so much for reading! I look forward to reading your thoughts in the comments! Just one chapter left in the story! don't forget to follow me on twitter [@vegebul_soup](https://twitter.com/vegebul_soup). thanks again!


	7. Chapter 7

Hinata stood in front of the bridal suite's brightly lit vanity and applied another layer of mascara. Standing beside her, wearing the same burgundy colored dress, were her sister's two best friends. The girls gabbed away about how lucky Hanabi was and how perfect the whole wedding was going to be as they sipped on a little pre-party champagne.

"Help, please!" Hanabi called from across the room as she stood on a small platform in front of three full-length mirrors. Hinata smiled as she set down her makeup and made her way over to her sister.

She already knew what Hanabi needed, grabbing the ribbons at the back of her elaborate wedding dress, weaving them through and pulling tight before tying them off in a small bow.

"Do you hate me for getting married before you?" Hanabi muttered with a furrowed brow, quiet enough that her friends wouldn't hear.

"Hanabi," Hinata chided softly, meeting her sister's pale gaze in the reflection of the mirror. "I could never hate you, I'm happy for you!"

"You know Konohamaru has a lot of hot friends, I'm sure we can find you a new beau tonight!"

"Oh my goodness," she sighed with a shake of her head. "You do not need to be worrying about me! Today is about you! I'm here to celebrate _your_ big day, okay?"

"Okay," Hanabi conceded, even as a secretive smile spread across her painted lips.

Crystal chandeliers illuminated the space with a soft glow. The grand hall was lined with chairs filled with all their friends and family, excitedly chattering and taking pictures. The wedding was hosted in a glitzy hotel in the middle of Midtown Manhattan. Hiashi had spared no expense when it came to his baby girl's special day.

Hinata held a bouquet of blooming, pale pink and burgundy flowers. She directed everyone as the bridal party lined up in the hallway. She met eyes with Naruto, who was looking so handsome in his grey suit. His tie the same color as her dress.

Her heart fluttered when he shot her his signature grin. She wanted to go talk to him, but she was a little busy conversing with her father and making sure Hanabi stayed hidden until Konohamaru got in place.

As the classic wedding march played the pairs of the bridal party made their way down the aisle to join Konohamaru waiting at the altar. The first pair went, followed by Naruto and Moegi. Then as the maid of honor, Hinata was escorted by the best man, Udon.

The crowd rose to their feet when Hanabi finally walked out in her gorgeous white gown, guided by their father, who was trying his best to keep it together. Konohamaru was already on the verge of tears as his bride joined him. She passed her bouquet to Hinata before she took her groom's hands.

Hinata tried to pay attention to the ceremony, to the sweet words being exchanged between her beloved sister and her soon-to-be husband. But she kept getting distracted.

She could feel Naruto staring at her.

Every time she glanced his way, he was already looking at her, but his smile grew a little wider at her attention. Hinata was absolutely sure she'll be blushing in every photo that was taken at the ceremony.

During the reception, Hinata did her best to be an attentive maid of honor. Grabbing Hanabi a drink and making sure she had a chance to try all the hors d'oeuvres as every guest at the party congratulated her and Konohamaru.

"Go, have fun! Enjoy the party," Hanabi said, shooing her sister away.

"Are you sure?" Hinata asked, but Hanabi just gently pushed her toward the nearest bar.

"Alright, come find me if you need anything, okay?"

Hinata was wary about leaving her sister's side, wanting to make sure she had the most perfect day, but she was comforted by the joy and contentment Hanabi radiated. It was contagious.

Knowing that she had fulfilled her sisterly duties, Hinata decided to finally focus on the thing - or rather the person - who had been consuming her thoughts all week. Opal eyes surveyed the room, looking for one man in particular.

A smile spread across her lips when she spotted that familiar crop of blonde hair from across the room. As if he could sense her gaze, Naruto looked her way.

"Excuse me…" Hinata turned around to find a sharply dressed man standing before her. "You are just one of the most beautiful girls I have ever seen, I just had to come talk to you."

"Oh, um, thank you," she replied, giving him a polite smile.

"What are you drinking?" he asked, waving a server over.

"I guess I'll just have a glass of wine." The man plucked a glass from the server's tray and handed it to her with a smirk.

"Tell me about yourself," he prompted.

After she finished her wine and simple conversations with two rather persistent men, Hinata was back on the hunt for Naruto. Suddenly some tall brunette jumped into her line of sight.

"Can I have this dance?" he requested in a smooth deep voice, as he offered her his hand.

As much as Hinata did not want to, she hated to be anything less than polite. It took a lot of bravery to ask a stranger to dance, and she was hesitant to hurt anyone's self-esteem.

So she took his hand and allowed him to guide her to the large dance floor in the center of the ballroom. Many couples were enjoying the live band as they sang covers of love songs and dance music.

Hinata twirled around the dance floor, softly giggling at her dance partner's commentary. She glanced to the side when she felt a familiar blue gaze watching her. She softly bit her lip when she found Naruto looking right at her.

She hoped her expression showed her conflicted feelings. She really didn't want Naruto to get the impression that she wasn't interested in him.

He was still smiling... but maybe it was just because he was among his friends. It was hard to read him.

Then he confused her, even more, when he held up three fingers.

What was that supposed to mean?

But she didn't have time to decode the gesture. Her attention was pulled back to her dance partner when the hand on her waist drifted a little too low for comfort. Hinata quickly extracted herself from his grasp.

"Thank you so much for the dance," she said cordially before excusing herself.

The moment she thought she was free, another man began chatting her up. Hinata could hardly believe the abnormal amount of men approaching her. Showering her with compliments and asking her to dance.

She began to speculate if the bridesmaid's dress Hanabi picked out was really that flattering or if there was some unspoken game for men to try to get with a maid of honor.

Hinata really wanted to talk to Naruto, but every time she spotted him someone intercepted her, or she was already preoccupied. Maybe she was overly concerned about coming off as rude. She ought to practice saying 'no' sometime.

"Can I get you a refill?" a raven-haired gentleman asked the moment she took the last sip of her drink.

"Oh, thank you so much," she replied, handing him her empty glass with a smile that felt a little forced. She scanned the room again, finding Naruto on the dance floor with a few of the guys she recognized from the bachelor party.

"One merlot," her latest admirer announced, handing her a full glass of wine. He immediately launched into a story about the stock market or something, and Hinata nodded along even as she stole glances in Naruto's direction.

The next time they made eye contact, Naruto held up six fingers.

Pale eyes widened when she finally realized he was counting the men who had approached her.

She couldn't help the embarrassed giggle that escaped her lips.

The man she had been talking to furrowed his brow, obviously that was a weird reaction to his uncomical story. Hinata quickly apologized for her outburst and made up an excuse.

Thankfully she didn't have to endure the story about the man's impressive trades for long, because Hanabi approached her with a request.

The downside of Hanabi's gorgeous princess style wedding dress was that she needed someone to hold up the many layers of the skirt just for her to sit down on the toilet and such a task is one of the many responsibilities of a maid of honor.

Not very glamorous, but a pretty valid reason to excuse herself from a conversation.

When Hinata returned to the party, she was determined to find Naruto and finally talk to him.

But no luck. He was nowhere to be found.

With a disappointed sigh, she decided she needed a little break from all the festivities.

Hinata stood on the terrace balcony that overlooked the city, taking a deep calming breath and polishing off the rest of her drink. She enjoyed watching the view of the tall city skyscrapers glittering in the night and the pedestrians amble by on the street below.

The sound of footsteps caught her attention and she straightened up, trying not to act annoyed by the interruption of her private moment.

When she turned around, lavender eyes met blue.

"I've been looking for you," Hinata confessed, visibly relaxing as a genuine smile spread across her lips. She was relieved it wasn't another random guy hoping to woo her.

"Really? Well, you're not going to find me down on Fifth Avenue," Naruto joked as he settled beside her leaning his back against the balcony's railing.

That feeling she had been craving, the feeling she got just from being around Naruto and his warm presence, pleasantly washed over her.

"Are you having fun?" she asked.

"Not as much fun as you, little-miss-popular," he grinned, alluding to all the male attention Hinata had been receiving since the reception began. She still couldn't believe he had been counting.

"It's honestly not usually like this... I mean, I'm not really… well you know me, I just…" Hinata was blushing and rambling.

"Can I tell you a secret?" Naruto leaned in conspiratorially. "Hanabi has been telling every eligible bachelor here that her sexy older sister was newly single, and anyone with a stable job and sense of humor should go shoot their shot."

"That explains it," Hinata huffed with an amused shake of her head. She probably should have expected something like this from her little sister. "So is that what you came to do? Shoot your shot?" she bravely asked.

"Okay, here. Let me try." Naruto waved his hand in front of his face, his usual grin replaced with a cool, confident smirk. "Hey, beautiful. Can I buy you a drink?"

Hinata couldn't help the giggle that erupted from her lips as she pointed out, "it's an open bar."

"Well shit," Naruto laughed, immediately breaking character. "Why don't you just give me a hint, tell me how I picked you up the first time?" He asked, knowing full well she didn't remember either.

"With a face like that, I don't think it took much."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" He smiled, a light pink dusting his cheeks. "I'm supposed to be the one flattering you!"

"Well go on then," she teased.

Hinata nervously bit her lip as his gaze traced down her figure. Her stomach did a flip at the hungry look in his blue eyes. "You look amazing in that dress," he husked.

Her heart rate increased from the raspy desire laced in his voice, but she tried to downplay the effect he had on her and maintain their playful banter.

"Hmm," Hinata hummed, pressing her finger to her lips. "Eight out of ten. Great delivery, but you lost points for originality. Someone already said that exact same thing to me."

"What?!" The sound of his spirited laughter warmed her heart and she couldn't help but laugh along with him. But his chuckles soon faded into a small smile. "Ya know what, forget the flattery, I'll just tell you the truth..."

He turned to face her. His warm hand found purchase on her waist before he confessed, "I haven't stopped thinking about you since the moment you walked away in Las Vegas."

"You're exaggerating," she denied in a shy whisper. Not quite able to believe that Naruto felt the same way she had.

Her breath hitched in anticipation as Naruto leaned closer. Their eyes locked on one another.

"I wish I was."

His fingers threaded through her midnight locks, tilting her head up as he looked at her with appreciative blue eyes. She slowly inched forward, closing the distance between them until his lips pressed softly against hers.

The relief of his kiss was sweet like a breath of fresh air Hinata hadn't known she had been craving. Her hands hurriedly grabbed the lapels of his grey suit, pulling him closer to deepen their kiss.

Her stomach was full of butterflies, her mind empty of thoughts. She could only focus on the sensation of his lips moving tenderly over hers. Kissing her over and over and igniting sweet tingles all over her skin.

His tongue traced over the seam of her lips in request. A wordless plea for more. His wandering hand drifted from her hip down to the swell of her bottom, giving it a little squeeze and eliciting a soft moan.

He took advantage of her parted lips, slipping his playful tongue into her mouth. Hinata was sure she must taste like red wine, but he tasted like desire. Her imagination swirled with salacious ideas of what they could spend their night doing.

When he pulled away, Hinata found herself wrapped in his masculine scent, dazed and wanting.

"Dance with me," Naruto whispered against her lips.

The corner of her mouth curved up in a shy smile. "I thought you'd never ask."

Her heart fluttered when his signature grin spread across his face. He took her hand and led her back inside and onto the dance floor. They settled against each other, his hand on her waist, hers on his shoulder.

There was something so different about dancing with Naruto compared to the other men who had approached her that night. Being in his arms just felt right.

Hinata's gaze drifted from Naruto to the newlywed couple.

"They look so happy," Hinata whispered. In the center of the dance floor, Konohamaru and Hanabi held each other, eyes locked on one another, swaying to the music, and smiling so sweetly. It really warmed her heart seeing her sister with the love of her life.

Caring lavender eyes took in the happy couple, the spirited guests, the elegant flower arrangements, the live band. The perfect venue. The perfect evening.

"This really was a perfect wedding," Hinata mumbled, suddenly feeling a little melancholy that it was ending so quickly. She had witnessed the months her sister poured into planning this event and everything came to life so beautifully. She really hoped it was all Hanabi dreamed it would be.

"Really? I feel like our wedding was more fun than this snooze fest," Naruto teased.

Hinata couldn't help but chuckle. "You don't even remember our wedding," she reminded him.

"Yeah, but I imagine it was a real rager."

She playfully rolled her eyes at him. Unable to resist the smile that painted her lips.

And just like that, her mood had shifted.

Hinata gazed up at Naruto as they swayed on the dance floor, wondering how someone she barely even knew couldn't brighten her mood so easily.

Even as the song ended, Naruto and Hinata didn't let go of each other. They continued to dance and talk and laugh. As each song passed, she melted deeper into his embrace until her head rested on his shoulder.

Her cheeks started to ache, and she realized that when she was around Naruto, she just couldn't stop smiling.

Naruto was so funny and sweet. He made her feel special and seen.

Hinata hadn't noticed just how much time had passed until the band announced their last song. A moment later, they were approached by her father who let her know that he was leaving. She looked around to discover many of the guests were already gone.

Naruto tensed as Hiashi gave him a wordless, accessing stare. "You'll make sure she gets home safe," it was more of a command than a request.

"Yes, sir." Naruto nodded a little too vigorously and Hinata had to bite her lip to stop herself from laughing.

Her father walked away and Naruto visibly relaxed. "Ya know, Konohamaru had told me about the way his father-in-law threatened him with only his eyes, and I didn't really understand what he meant until just now."

Hinata let out a soft giggle and reached up to palm Naruto's cheek and turn his attention from her retreating father back down to her. "The party is just about over, so what are you going to do now?"

"I'm going wherever you're going," he smirked.

"Well good, because I was going to your house." She leaned close to his ear and purred, "I need a little reminder of what we did in Vegas."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hooorayyy! another finished fic! thank you all so much for reading and especially those who have left comments! I can't wait to hear what you all thought of the conclusion to this fun little story. Be sure to check out my other fics too!


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